Information and inspiration for the woman who trains to fight

Cherry Juice is Radical

Do you love cherry juice? Well, do you realize that tart cherry juice is a healer of post workout soreness, an expediter of muscle repair and a tonic for insomnia? And did you know cherry juice has qualities that help prevent cancer and improve heart health? So do you love it now?

It turns out that as oxygen reacts with various molecules in your body tiny things called free radicals are produced, and too many of these can ultimately lead to damage to your cells. In response, your body produces natural antioxidants, however when you engage in intense exercise you create even more nasty free radicals and it can overwhelm the system. Fortunately, cherry juice can help you clean it up.

As an athlete you should consider adding some tart cherry juice to your daily diet, especially on gym days

Cherries are a red fruit and, like other brightly colored fruits, they’re loaded with phyto-chemicals and nutrients that are classified as powerful antioxidants. Besides battling free radicals, the compounds in cherry juice also fight against inflammation. One of the big benefits from cherry juice that has shown up in studies is the speeding up of muscle recovery after exercise. Athletes reportedly can enjoy as much as a 10% improvement in recovery time simply by drinking the tart stuff after their workout. And there's also anecdotal and scientific evidence showing that drinking tart cherry juice is helpful for managing pain in a way not unlike some over-the-counter pain killers.

And if you’re having some trouble getting satisfying sleep try having some cherry juice a couple hours before bedtime. We asked Dr Sager (of Dr. Sager’s SkinCare) why cherries are so effective for battling insomnia and he told us that tart cherry juice is a rich source of melatonin, which Wikipedia says “regulates the sleep–wake cycle by chemically causing drowsiness and lowering the body temperature.” Your body produces small amounts of melatonin naturally, but as you get older you may need to boost your intake of melatonin and cherry juice can be that boost.

One more thing, as a woman you are at a higher risk of suffering from arthritis and there is reason to think that cherry juice could help protect against arthritis by putting more antioxidants in the bloodstream. So drink up and perhaps you won’t need to hang up the gloves anytime soon.

As an athlete you should consider adding some tart cherry juice to your daily diet, especially on gym days. There is a high level of fructose in all juice, which takes longer to digest and could cause stomach cramps during exercise, so best to avoid it immediately before or during your workout.